--- title: "Experience Close Encounters Of The Military Kind With These Two Crazy Videos" description: "I guess you can never be too close to the action. That is until you are! In this case a Ukrainian Su-27P Flanker and an Indian T-72 tank put themselves right in spectators' faces in the most spectacular fashion!" date: "2020-01-16" modified: "2020-01-16" authors: - name: "Tyler Rogoway" job_title: "Editor-in-Chief" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/tyler-rogoway" url: "https://www.twz.com/31865/experience-close-encounters-of-the-military-kind-with-these-two-crazy-videos" categories: - "Air" - "Air Forces" - "Around The Globe" - "Il-76" - "India" - "Indo-Pacific" - "Land" - "News & Features" - "T-72" - "Tanks" - "Transports" - "Ukrainian Air Force" tags: - "air show" - "Air-to-Air" - "Aviation Photography" - "Close-up" - "India" - "Skyvan" - "Su-27P" - "T-72" - "Tank" - "Ukraine" --- # Experience Close Encounters Of The Military Kind With These Two Crazy Videos ![]() *www.twz.com* For military and aerospace technology aficionados, proximity to the weapon systems they are so interested in is highly valued. The size of a heavy fighter can't really be appreciated in photos and videos and the sounds that a main battle tank makes are quite unique to hear with your own ears. For aviation photographers, the better the access the [more creative and striking your images]() are likely to be, at least [in many circumstances](). But sometimes things can get *almost* a bit too close for comfort, as is the case with the two videos below. The first video was shot in 2019 and is of a Ukrainian Su-27P Flanker getting really, really close to a bunch of surely extremely stoked aviation photographers flying in the back of a Shorts Skyvan operated by [Sky Force]() of Poland. The aerial meetup was directed by aviation photographer [Sławek "Hessia" Krajniewski](). The video itself was shot by Krzysztof Goralczyk according to one of Instagram's most prolific aerospace content posters and one of our favorite follows, [Combat\_Learjet](), and it appears to have been filmed in conjunction with the Gdynia Aerobaltik Air Show that Ukrainian Flankers attended last year. https://www.instagram.com/p/B7Yz3MWluHd The Ministry Of Defense Of Ukraine has a couple 'in your face' photos from the air-to-air encounter posted on [their official website](). Here's one that appears to have been snapped during the pass that was captured in the video above: ![message-editor%2F1579201497179-4a03cf0860a4086fc11d430366ba8fbb9b3071fd.jpg]() **SkyPrestige via Ukrainian Air Force** Flanker pilots seem to be a uniquely curious bunch. This video of a Russian Su-30 getting close to poking its nose inside an Il-76's rear cargo door is another classic: https://youtube.com/embed/rpatBcSFqR4 Then we hop over to India, where one of the country's T-72 main battle tanks pulled a Jaws-like move on some spectators at an armor demonstration and competition event: https://twitter.com/\_/status/1217813612359757824 Here's a side view of the tank on its haunches. Apparently, the super-aggressive maneuver was part of the program, but a thrill none the less: https://twitter.com/\_/status/1217873887733547009 I guess you can never be too close to the action... That [is until you are!]() *Contact the author: Tyler@thedrive.com* ## Author Tyler’s passion is the study of military technology, strategy, as well as foreign policy, and he has fostered a dominant voice on those topics in the defense and national security space. Tyler was the creator of the hugely popular defense site *Foxtrot Alpha* before developing *TWZ*, which he continues to lead as the Editor-In-Chief to this day. ### Author social links [Twitter]()